Dispensing cabinet



June 5, .1 923.

5. WHEELER DISPENS ING CABINET Filed May 25 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR v SefWGZGP u, y M m NEYS June 5, 1923. 1,457,333

5. WHEELER DISPENSING CABINET IN I/EN TOR June 5, 1923.

S. WHEELER DISPENSING CABINET n 4 1 m k W e N e N m h u m 1 o M June 5,1923.

5. WHEELER DISPENSING CABINET Filed May 25, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 o I uI l INVENTOR wfiee/er ATTORNEYS Patented June 5, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

T all whom it may concm.

Be it known that I, Smn WHEELER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Castleton, in the county of Rensselaer and State of S NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Dispensing Cabinet, ofwhich the following is a ification.

My invention relates to dispensingcabinets and has for its object toprovide a [0 novel and eflicient dis ensing cabinet which may becoin-controlle if desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cabinet which willfeed, among other articles or units, single or double sheets of apereither unfolded, or folded or interolded, in any desired manner.

A. further object of m invention is to provide a cabinet which will feedonly the desired unit and which will feed that unit si- 20 tively andsurely at one operation w ich may consist of a complete turn or turns ofa ceding mechanism or only a portion of a complete turn or turns.

A further object of my invention is to pro- 25 vide a coin-controlledcabinet provided with a single operating means for both the coincontrolmechanism and the feeding mechamsm.

Other and further objects of my invention 30 will be apparent from thefollowingl description and from the accompanying rawings illustratingone embodiment of my invention, in wh1ch Figure 1 is a front elevationof the cab- :15 inet;

Figure 2 a side elevation of the cabinet with the bottom broken away toshow a portion of the feeding mechanism;

Figure 3 a neral plan of the feeding ,0 rollers with ad acent parts insection;

Figure 4: a front elevation of the feeding rollers with adjacent arts insection;

Figures 5, 6, and views of the gears, rollers, and guide disks,respectively, of one 5 embodiment of the invention taken on the line 5,6, and 7, respectively, of Figure 3 and looking in the direction of thearrows,

Figures 8, 9, and views similar to Figures 5, 6, and 7 of anotherembodiment of I) the invention;

Figures 11, 12, and 13 views similar to Figures 5, 6, and 7 of anotherembodiment of the invention; J

Figure 14 a vertlcal section taken substantially on the line 14-44 ofFigure 15 looking in the direction of the arrows;'

igure 15 a vertical section taken substantially on the line 15-15 ofFigure 14 looking 1n the direction of the arrows;

F lgure 16 an enlarged vertical section of one embodiment of the feedingrollers showmg an article to be dispensed in semi-dispensed positionFigure 17 a detailed view (with adjacent parts in section and partsremoved) of the coin-operating and locking devices showing the lockingdevice in position to permit operat on of the dispensing rollers;

Figure 18 a view of the upper part of Figure 17 showing the coin su portwhen it is attempted to operate the cabinet without a co n in place;

Figure 19 a view of the upper part of Figure showing the coin support indumpingrpositlon; and

lgure 20 an edge view of the coin'support and associated arts in theposition shown in Figure 18 looking from the left of said figure andcorresponding to Fi we 14:) and in. exaggerated separation to s 0wclearly the manner of association and support.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

In the embodiment of my inventlon chosen for purposes of illustration,the reference character 1 indicates acasing of any desired kind havin afront cover 2 provided with flanges 3 apted to extend over the casing.Cover 2 is provided with a coin slot 4, and with a pee hole or sight 5(preferably covered with g ass) so that it can be ascertained readilywhen the cabinet should with the articles to be dispensed.

'At the bottom of the casing is provided a plurality of delivery rollersadapted to feed the articles to be dispensed a sufiicient distance tormit the articles to 'be grasped by the hen and then preferably releasethe articles by moving the rollers apart so that the articles may bewithdrawn from the cabinet. In the embodiment illustrated, the articlesare interfolded towels with the interfolds arranged in such a mannerthat when one unit is withdrawn from the cabinet a subsequent unit willbe pulled into osition to be engaged by the delivery r0 lers at the nextoperation thereof.

be refilled rollers apart in order to release In the embodiment of theinvention of Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the draw ngs, roller 7 of thecoacting rollers 7 and 8 is provided with a cutaway portion in order torelease the articles to be dispensed after the cooperating circularportions of the rollers have advanced the articles the desired distance.Althoughi only one cutaway portion is illustrated, it is obvious that alurality of cutaway portions may be utilize on one or both of therollers, the number depend upon the distance the roll is to be turne ateach dispensing operation, The rollers are connected on one end byintermeshin gears 9' and 10, one of which as gear pre erably is providedwith a raised portion 11 between any desired number of teeth (formingshallow teeth) to force the gears and therefore the rollers apart at thetime the articles to be dispensed are to be released. The rollers areprovided on the other end with guide disks 12 and 13, one of which asdisk 12 preferably is provided with a hump 14 to assist in forcing therollers apart at the same time this function is performed by the gears.In the embodiment illustrated, roller 7 is mounted in fixed bearings androller 8 in spring-pressed bear- $1 the embodiment of the invention ofFigures 8, 9, and 10 of the drawings, rollers 17 and 18 preferably arenot provided with a cutaway ortion or portions and gear 19 of intermesing gears 19and 20 is provided with a raised portion 21 of an extentsufthe gears and therefore the the articles to be dispensed. Guide disk22 of the guide disks 22 and 23 at the other end of rollers 17 and 18 isprovided with corresponding means 24 to separate that end of therollers.

The embodiment of the invention of Figures 11, 12, and 13 of thedrawings, is similar to the embodiment of Figures 5, 6, and 7 with theexception that roller 27 of rollers 27 and 28 is provided with means, asroundheaded nails or their equivalent, which tpirevent the withdrawal ofthe article to be ispensed before the separation of the rollers is atits maximum. Gear 29 of intermeshing dgears 29 and 30 in this embodimentis rovi ed with a raised portion 31 prefera ly of less extent thanraised of gear 9, and guide disk 32 of guide disks 32 and 33 is providedwith a hump 34 preferably corresponding in extent to the raised portion31 between the teeth of gear 29.

It is to" be understood that the embodiments in Figures 5 to 13,inclusive, may be interchan d or modified as may be necessa or avisable.

he dispensing operation of the rollers is accomplished in the presentembodiment through a one-33y clutch, one member of which is comma to oneof the rollers and portion 11 the other member of which is connected toa flexible hand operating member. In this embodiment, one of thetrunnions of one of the rollers, as trunnion of roller 7 (Figure 14) isextended to form a bearing for the clutch. One clutch member 43 is shownas having connected therewith a sleeve 41 provided with a liftinfimcam42 to operate the coin-lock device. is clutch member is mountedrotatably on trunnion 40 and its rotatable movement limited by a lostmotion device as, for example, a pin 44 secured in trunnion 40 andengaging a slot 45 (Figure 17) in sleeve 41 of the clutch member. Thispin and slot connection permits lifting cam 42 to operate the coin-lockdevice to release the dispensing rollers before any turning movement isimparted to them. spring 47 (Figure 14), one end of which is secured topin 44 on trunnion 40 and the end to clutch member 43 as by a. screw 48,maintains sleeve 41 and its lifting cam 42 in proper position to utilizethe pin and slot connection for the sequence of operation justmentioned.

Said clutch member 43 cooperates with a clutch member 50 havingconnected therewith a sheave 51 in which is secured a fiexi bleoperating member as a chain 52 having a stop 53 thereon engaging theentrance of the passageway in the cabinet for the chain, in order tolimit upward movement of said chain and thus the rotation of sheave 51induced by a conical volute spring 54, one end of which is secured tothe sheave and the other end to a plate 55 secured in adjusted positionin any desired manner as by havmg holes 56 therein engaged by a pin 57mounted or otherwise secured to an immovable part as a bracket or framepiece 53. Spring 54 also tends to keep clutch members 43 and 50 inoperative connection, the faces of said clutches being formed so thatwhen chain 52 is pulled downward, the clutch faces will engageoperatively to turn clutch member 43 and trunnion 40 through its pin andslot connection therewith, and when chain 52 is released the clutchfaces will pass each other inoperatively until stop 53 on chain 52engages the entrance of chain passageway 81 at which time clutch member50 and chain 52 are in normal position ready for the next dispensingoperation.

To adapt the delivery rollers for use in connection with a coin-lockdevice, alcohing strip 60 (Figures 15 and 17) is provided in theembodiment illustrated, having an extension provided with a lockingshoulder 61 and with a cam member 62. Said shoulder 61 is engaged by acooperating shoulder connected with one of the dispensing rollers as ashoulder 63 on an extension of gear 9, and cam 62 is engaged by acooperating cam 64 which also is shown in this embodiment as on saidextension of gear 9. When llt locking strip 60 is in normal position,the dispensing rollers cannot beturned as shoulder 63 on gear 9 engageslocki shoulder 61 on looking strip 60. When 100 'ng strip 60 is raisedby mechanism to be described hereinafter, locking shoulder 61 of thelocking strip is removed from the path of shoulder 63 on gear 9 (Figure17) and the disnsing rollers can be turned sufliciently to eed thearticle to be dispensed a suiiicient distance to be grasped, at whichtime the cam 64 on gear 9 will have engaged cam member 62 on lockingstrip 60 and returned the strip to normal locking position with itslocking shoulder 61 in the path of shoulder 63 on gear 9.

Locking strip 60 is operated in connection with a coin by an associatedstrip 70 adapted to be raised by cam 42 on sleeve 41 engaging anydesired portion of said associated strip 70 as a projection 71 at thebottom thereof. The raising of associated strip 70 by cam 42 will notraise locking strip 60 unless a coin is in place between the two strips.The mechanism to support the coin between the strips long enough toconnect the strips operatively consists in the present embodiment of aC0111 support 72 pivoted to associated strip 70 and having a slot 73engaged by a pin on locking strip 60. An abutment 66 also is provided onlocking strip 60 a sufficient distance above coin support 72 to receivea coin of the desired denomination therebetween. It is evident that ifassociated strip is raised without a coin in place, it will not affectlocking strip 70. Coin suport 72 will assume the position shown in igure18. When a coin is in place, however, the raising of associated strip 70will lift the coin (supported by coin support 72) against abutment 66 onlocking strip 60, raising it to unlocking osition in which its lockingshoulder 61 wil be removed from the path of shoulder 63 of roller 7. Assoon as lifting cam 42 has passed projection 71 of associated strip 70,a spring 74 connectin strip 70 with the frame will return strip 70 tolowered position while locking strip 60 still is maintained in upwardposition b cam 64 enga 'ng the portion of strip 60 be ow its shou der61. This relative movement of strip 70 causes coin support 72 to assumethe position shown in Figure 19 thus dumping the coin from the supportand preventing its use again to operate the locking device by pulllngoperating chain 52 very quickly and before the coin has had anopportunity to fall. A spring 67 also may connect lockin strip 60 to theframe to ensure its following cam surface 64 before said cam reaches cammember 62 thereon.

In order to assist an even distribution of the articles to be di nsed,friction waves 80 ma be provided inside the cabinet and the de iveryopening 81 may be provided adjacent its top with a projection 82preferably of circular or rounding formationl The operation, of theapparatus is a follows:

A coin inserted in coin slot 4 will fall to coin support 72 where it issupported, preferably on edge, between locking strip 60 and itsassociated strip 70. When operating chain 52 is pulled downward clutchmember 50 will be rotated and by its operative engagement with clutchmember 43 will cause the rotation of said clutch member 43 and itsassociated sleeve 41 and lifting cam 42 which engages and liftsprojection 71 on associated strip 70. As the coih is supported by coinsu port 72 on associated strip 70,

p the coin wi 1 be lifted, and as the coin is in engagement withabutment 66 on locking strip 60, the locking strip likewise will belifted, removing its locking shoulder 61 from the path of movement ofshoulder 63 connected with roller 7. If a coin is not in place on coinsupport 72 the operation of operating chain 52 will tend only to raiseassociated strip 70 without moving locking strip 60 so that shoulder 63associated with roller 7 remains in place in the path of lockingshoulder 61 on locking strip 60 thus reventing rotation of roller 7 andthe fee ing of the articles to be dispensed.

After associated strip 70 has been lifted by lifting cam 42 and lockingstrip 60 has been lifted by the coin between strips 60 and 70 as setforth above, so that roller 7 is free to rotate, the continued downwardoperation of operating chain 52 will cause pin 44 in trunnion 40 ofroller 7 to be engaged by the end of slot 45 in sleeve 41 and thusrotate roller 7 As rollers 7 and 8 are geared together, both rollerswill rotate to feed the articles to be dispensed a sufiicient distanceto permit a unit to be grasped. At this time the cutaway portion onroller 7 (or roller 27) will come opposite its associated roller 8 (or28) and permit the articles to be pulled from the cabinet, the presentembodiment showing the articles as paper towels so interfolded that whenone unit (consisting of one or more towels) is withdrawn from thecabinet, the end of a succeeding unit will be drawn into positionbetween the rollers. The release of the articles from the rollers isassisted or accomplished, as the case may be, by the raised portion 11between the teeth of gear 9 (Figure 5) and hump 14 on guide disk 12(Figure 7), forcing gear 10 and guide disk 13 away from gear 9 and guidedisk 12, respectively, which is permitted by the spring-pressed bearings15 (Figure 3) for roller 8, thus forcing apart the rollers 7 and 8. Theraised portion 21 of gear 19 (Figure 8) and the hump '24 of guide disk22 (Figure 10), and also the raised portion 31 of car 29 (Fi re 11) andthe hump 34 of guide disk 32 Figure 13),

act in a similar manner to raised portion 11 in these em odiments.

prising a plurality In the present construction, therefore, by onemovement of the operating chain 52 the coin-lock device functions as setforth above and feeds the articles to be dis nsedwhen a coin is'in placeand prevents ceding when a coin is not in place.

Many modifications of my invention will be apparent to those skilled inthe art without departing therefrom or from the scope of the claims, myinvention not'being limited to the particular embodiment chosen to i1-lustrate the same but comprising a dispensing cabinet, adapted ifdesired to use a coin lock device, from which articles are dies penscdby one operation of the operating device.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articlestherein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising aplurality of rollers provided with means to force said rollers apart ata. predetermined delivery time.

2. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising a pluralityof spring-pressed rollers and means for forcing said rollers apart atthe time of delivery.

3. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising aplurality of rollers provided with gears one of which has means to forcesaid rollers apart.

4. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising aplurality of rollers provided with gears one of which has shallow teethto force said rollers apart. 7

5. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising aplurality of rollers provided with ide disks one of which has means toforce said rollers apart at the time of delivery.

6. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising aplurality of rollers provided with guide disks one of which has a hum toforce said rollers apart at the time of do very.

7. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing comof rollersrovided with gears and with guide disks aving means to force said ro ersapart at the time of delivery.

nus-mas 8. In a vendin cabinet, a casing, means to maintain artic estherein, and means to deliver said articles from said casing comprisinga plurality of rollers rovided with gears one of which has shal 0w teethand with guide disks one of which has a hump to force said rollersapart.

9. In a vendin cabinet, a casing, means to maintain artic es therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing compzisin a feedingmeans, a clutch one memr 0 which is connected to said feeding means, anoperating device connected to the other member of said clutch, and aspring to move the clutch member connected to said 0 crating deviceangularly to normal positron after its operation by said operatingdevice.

10. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing com- Ezisin afeeding means, a clutch one memr 0 which is connected to said feedingmeans, an operating device connected to the other member of said clutch,and a spring to return the clutch member connected to, said operatingdevice to normal position after its operation by said operatin device,said spring urging said clutch mom ers into operative contact.

11. In a vendin cabinet, a casing, means to maintain art-ices therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing com-, prising afeeding means, a locking device for said feeding means, a clutch onemember of which is connected to an operating device and the other memberof which has associated therewith means adapted to operate said lockingdevice, and means to connect said last named clutch member to saidfeeding means so that said locking device will be operated before saidfeeding means is operated.

12. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing, comprising afeeding means, a locking device for said feeding means, a clutch onemember of which is connected to an operating device and the other memberof which has associated therewith means adapted to opcrate said lockingdevice, and means to connect said last named clutch member to saidfeeding means comprising a pin and slot connection adapted to permit theoperation of said locking device before the operation of said feedingmeans.

13. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising a feedingmeans, a locking device for said feeding means, a clutch one member ofwhich is connected to an 0 rating device and the other member of w ichhas means adapted to operate said locking device, means to connect saidlast named clutch member to said feeding means so that said lockingdevice will be operated before said feeding means is operated, and meansnormally adapted to maintain said last named clutch member in positionto cause said delayed o ration.

14. In a ven ing cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,and means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising a feedingmeans, a locking device for said feeding means, a clutch one member ofwhich is connected to an o erating device and the other member of w ichhas associated therewith means adapted to opcrate said locking device,means to connect said last named clutch member to said feeding means sothat said locking device will be operated before said feeding means isoperated, and a spring normally adapted to maintain said last namedclutch member in position to cause said delayed operation.

15. In a vendin cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articlias therein,means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising an operatingdevice, and means to lock said delivery means comprising a verticallymovable locking strip, an associated vertically movable strip adapted tobe operated by said operating device, and means to support a coinbetween said strips to connect them operatively.

16. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,means to deliver said articles from saidmasing comprising an operatingdevice, and means to lock said delivery means comprising a lockingstrip, an associated strip adapted to be operated by said operatingdevice, and means to support a coin between said strips to connect themoperatively comprising a. coin support pivoted to said associated strip.

17. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising an operatingdevice, and means to lock said delivery means comprising a lockingstrip, an associated strip adapted to be operated by said 'operatingdevice, and means to support a coin between said strips to connect themoperatively comprising a coin support pivoted to said associated stripand connected to said locking strip by a pin and slot connection.

18. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising an operatingdevice, and means to lock said delivery means comprising a verticallymovable lockin strip, an associated vertically movable strip adapted tobe operated by said operating device, and means to support a coinbetween said strips to connect them operatively comprising a coinsupport on said associated strip and a stop on said locking strip abovesaid support a suflicient distance to be engaged b a coin when saidassociated strip is raise 19. In a vendin cabinet, a casing, means tomaintain artices therein, means to deliver said articles from saidcasing comprising an operating device, and means to lock said deliverymeans comprising a vertically movable locking strip, an associatedvertically movable strip adapted to be operated by said operatingdevice, and means to return said strips to normal position after theoperation thereof.

20. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising an operatingdevice, and means to lock said delivery means comprising a verticallymovable locking strip, an associated vertically movable strip adapted tobe operated by said operating device, and means to return said strips tonormal position after the operation thereof comprising springs.

21. In a vending cabinet, a casing, means to maintain articles therein,means to deliver said articles from said casing comprising an operatingdevice, and means to lock said delivery means comprising a verticallymovable locking strip, an associated vertically movable strip adapted tobe operated by said operating device, a coin support operativelyconnected between said strips, means to maintain said locking strip inoperated position, and means to return said associated strip to normalposition after operation while said locking strip is maintained inoperated position.

22. In a vending cabinet, the combination of means for maintaining astack of interfolded paper units, means for advancing the lowermost unitto a position in which it may be grasped and for then releasing saidunit while still leaving it interfolded with the next successive unit,coin-controlled means to lock said delivery means, and a singleoperating device adapted to operate said coin-controlled means and tooperate said delivery means at one operation.

23. In a vending cabinet, the combination of means for maintaining astack of interfolded paper units, rollers for advancing the lowermostunit to a position in which it may be grasped while leaving it stillinterfolded with the next successive unit, means to then release thegrip of said rollers on said unit, coin controlled means to lock saidrollers, and a single operatin device adapted at one o eration to unlocsaid locking means an to operate said rollers.

24. In a vending cabinet, the combination of means for maintaining astack of interfolded paper units, rollers for advancing the lowermostunit to a position in which it may be grasped while leaving it stillinterfolded with the next successive unit, 6 means to then separate saidrollers so as to release said unit from their grip, coin controlledmeans to lock said rollers, and a single operating device adapted at one0pratlon to unlock said locking means and to operate said rollers in theorder named.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my handthis 22nd day of April, 1920.

SETH WHEELER.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Iietbars Patent No. 1457533 ted June 5,-1923, upon thaza, plication of Seth Wheeler, of Castleton, New ork, foran improvement in Ispensin Cabinetsfl errors appear m the printedspecification requiringecorrection as f0 ows: Page 2, line 85,- afterthe article the insert. the word at 1'; age 4, line 129, Cln.i m 13,after the word has insert the wo1 -ds associated therewith; and that theand Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein thatthe same mngsconform-to the record of the case in the Patent.

Signadind sepled this tLh daj of June, A. D., 1923.

[sun] KARL FENNING,

Acting of Patents,

